The present invention relates generally to manufacturing and, more particularly, to a system and method for testing electric motor components such as armatures or stators moving along a manufacturing line.
Armature and stator manufacturing lines have in the past included a conveyor extending from station to station of the manufacturing process. In many cases winding operations have taken place using machines which remove the armature or stator from the conveyor and subsequently replace the part on the conveyor. After the components have been wound and lead wires fused, testing of the armatures is conducted. The types of tests conducted may include a hi-pot test, a surge test and a resistance test.
While the primary focus of the discussion contained herein focuses on armatures, it is recognized that other electric motor components, such as stators for example, could also be tested.
As used herein the term xe2x80x9chi-potxe2x80x9d is short for high potential, with the hi-pot test involving the application of a relatively high potential voltage across test contacts where one test contact is associated with one lead of the component winding and the other test contact is associated with the metal of the component. The hi-pot test is used to determined the integrity of the insulation between the armature coil and the armature metal. As used herein the term xe2x80x9chi-pot test headxe2x80x9d is used to refer to a test head configured for conducting a hi-pot test. As used herein the term xe2x80x9chi-pot test stationxe2x80x9d is used to refer to a location at which the necessary contacts used to perform a hi-pot test are located during a test and may encompass a hi-pot test head if used, but does not necessarily require the use of a test head. As used herein the term xe2x80x9csurge testxe2x80x9d refers to a commonly practiced test which looks for breakdown between adjacent wires of the component coil(s). As used herein the term xe2x80x9cresistance testxe2x80x9d refers to a commonly known test for checking or measuring the contact resistance between each of the bonding points between the component and its associated coil wires. The term xe2x80x9csurge/resistance test headxe2x80x9d is used to refer to a test head configured for conducting one or both of a surge test and a resistance test. The term xe2x80x9csurge/resistance test stationxe2x80x9d is used to refer to a location at which the necessary contacts used to perform a surge and/or resistance test are located during a test and may encompass a surge/resistance test head if used, but does not necessarily require the use of a test head. The term xe2x80x9csurge/resistance test consolexe2x80x9d is used to refer to a test console capable of conducting one or both of a surge test and a resistance test. As used herein the term xe2x80x9ccomponent typexe2x80x9d is defined by the overall configuration of the component and it is contemplated, for example, that different armature configurations define respectively different component types.
In implementing testing systems two primary factors of concern are cost and speed. It is known in the past to utilize first and second surge/resistance test heads located along a single conveyor lane, with both surge/resistance test heads connected to a single surge/resistance test console to be controlled thereby. The surge/resistance test console alternatingly conducts tests between the two surge/resistance test heads. Unfortunately such systems are still speed limited in that the conveyor lane cannot be moved while either test is going on, and therefore components must be moved in and out of testing positions at the same time.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a testing system providing increased speed.
In one aspect, an electric motor component testing system includes a first conveyor lane and a second conveyor lane. A first hi-pot test station is positioned along the first conveyor lane for testing components moved along the first conveyor lane and a second hi-pot test station is positioned along the second conveyor lane for testing components moved along the second conveyor lane. A first hi-pot controller is connected for controlling tests by the first hi-pot test station. A second hi-pot controller is connected for controlling tests by the second hi-pot test station. A first surge/resistance test station is positioned along the first conveyor lane downstream of the first hi-pot test station for testing components moved along the first conveyor lane. A second surge/resistance test station is positioned along the second conveyor lane downstream of the second hi-pot test station for testing components moved along the second conveyor lane. A single test console is connected for receiving test data from each of the first and second hi-pot controllers, the single test console connected for controlling each of the first and second surge/resistance test stations for conducting non-simultaneous tests by the first and second surge/resistance test stations.
In another aspect, an electric motor component testing system includes a first conveyor lane and a second conveyor lane. A first surge/resistance test station is positioned along the first conveyor lane for testing components moved along the first conveyor lane and a second surge/resistance test station positioned along the second conveyor lane for testing components moved along the second conveyor lane. A single test console is connected for controlling each of the first and second surge/resistance test stations for conducting non-simultaneous tests by the first and second surge/resistance test stations.
In a further aspect, a part testing system is provided for a manufacturing line including first and second work flow conveyor lanes. The system includes a first test station positioned along the first work flow conveyor lane for testing parts moved along the first work flow conveyor lane and a second test station positioned along the second work flow conveyor lane for testing parts moved along the second work flow conveyor lane. A single test console is connected for controlling each of the first and second test stations for conducting non-simultaneous tests by the first and second test stations.